February 24
2008

WONDERCON '08:The Dark Horse Panel.
Some brief Buffy Season 8 info, including the announcement that a major, although unnamed, Buffy and Joss Whedon bit of news is coming in July, most likely at San Diego Comic Con. Plus a tease for the Serenity mini-series.

So anyone want to speculate what this major Buffy/Joss news in July could be?

I guess Ripper or a second Fray mini-series. I would hope it'd be only a mini-series, even if a bit longer than the last one. I'd kinda like to see Fray stay Joss-only, personally. Would be beyond awesome if they got Karl Moline back for the art as well, IMO, though I'm still arguing with myself over whether he's essential to the book. He's the only look we've ever seen for the character and her world, he defined it and it makes sense for him to continue it, but I suppose if they got a good enough new talent or one I already like who's style would fit...

Given only one choice, I think I'd take Ripper over Fray 2 though. I've been wanting a second Fray for a long time and had long given up on the possibility of Ripper until a year or two ago when the rumblings about it being a strong maybe again started up. We've got so much comic book goodness from Joss at the moment, it's time we went back to the screen.

Confirmation of Buffy S9 doesn't seem major enough, since Joss seems to be talking about it as if it's pretty definite already.

Ripper or more Fray would be brilliant. I think I want Fray more because we've had so little of her so far, and because Giles could be, and almost certainly will be explored in Seasons 8 and 9 of Buffy.

Would it be wishful thinking to say more Firefly/Serenity on screen? I hope not.

I dunno if I'd prefer Ripper over to a new Fray story to be honest. I mean Giles is going to be in season 8 and I'm kinda past Buffy the TV series now and want to focus more on the season 8 storyline. Although saying this, I would love for a big Buffy movie and now with the Paley reunion, maybe one could be in store!!! However, it is a case of where would they fit one in? They can't do it after right after Chosen as the actors have aged and also with season 8, the cannot do it any time around the present. Okay so a Buffy movie is off the tables unless Joss came up with a way to fit it into series 8, as a side story or something. Giles just doesn't really appeal to me much and Fray has much more of a story to tell. Or maybe it could be a new Buffy season 8 video game that we'd all petitioned for!!! Sidebar, the No Future For You TPB artwork was revealed with #9 so maybe we'll see the Wolves at the Gate artwork with #15 next month (hopefully by Jo Chen!)

I dunno if I'd prefer Ripper over to a new Fray story to be honest. I mean Giles is going to be in season 8 and I'm kinda past Buffy the TV series now and want to focus more on the season 8 storyline. Although saying this, I would love for a big Buffy movie and now with the Paley reunion, maybe one could be in store!!! However, it is a case of where would they fit one in? They can't do it after right after Chosen as the actors have aged and also with season 8, the cannot do it any time around the present. Okay so a Buffy movie is off the tables unless Joss came up with a way to fit it into series 8, as a side story or something.

A Buffy movie would be my ultimate dream announcment but I'm not holding my breath for something like that at this time.

I think Joss said in a interview a while back that if a Buffy movie ever happened,it would be set after the canon comics.

Yep, I also think "season 9" isn't quite major enough since it's been mentioned several times. And 'Ripper' is a TV project so I wonder why it would be mentioned at a Dark Horse panel.

It was at last year's Dark Horse San Diego Comic Con panel where Joss announced Ripper was finally moving forward

Here's the Whedonesque link to that.

http://whedonesque.com/comments/13859

Whatever is being announced at this year's SDCC,it sounds like it's Buffy related for Joss and big.

Wasn't that a more general "Joss Whedon Panel" at Comicon Buffyfantic, not specifically a Dark Horse one ? I remember that thread and that there was a lot of non Dark Horse stuff mentioned/announced.

But I more meant the linked Wondercon panel anyway. Given that's specifically Dark Horse and barely mentions Joss, it just seems odd that the one thing they mention about him has absolutely nothing to do with Dark Horse. So I don't think it's about 'Ripper' (but i'd be extremely happy to be wrong ;).

Yes,it was a Joss Whedon panel but it was hosted and presented by Dark Horse.From last year's schedule.

http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci07_prog_sat.php

4:45-5:45 Dark Horse Presents: Joss Whedon— With the hugely successful release of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 for Dark Horse Comics, Joss Whedon (Fray, Astonishing X-Men) talks about picking up where the TV series left off, his other projects, future plans, and possibly even a few surprises. A sneak peek from the upcoming Serenity—Collector's Edition DVD will be shown. Ballroom 20
Categories: Comic Books | Movies | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Television

Maybe Dark Horse is going to give Joss another panel of his own again this year.

Ah right, so they sort of sponsor it ? Still seems odd to me that at the Wondercon panel (which was specifically about Dark Horse products) the Dark Horse head of publicity should make specific mention of an announcement Joss is going to make that doesn't relate in any way to Dark Horse.

Maybe the guy's also a fan though and was just giving other fans a heads up even though it doesn't benefit DH (which, if true, is bloody nice of him), guess we'll have to wait and see. Boo, stupid waiting and seeing ;).

Ripper was announced last year at the San Diego Comic Con, but it was still up in the air. Announcing when it would begin filming and an air date would certainly be big news. Hopefully if it is an air date it will be not just a UK air date on the BBC but when it's premiering in both Canada and the US.

Also Dark Horse would promote something such as Ripper tv movie, as stuff like that typically pushes up sales of their comics and trades. In the past they have promoted or at least talked about movies at conventions which tie into comics they publish, so it wouldn't be unheard of that they promote any non comic book related Buffy news.

With Dollhouse and all, I'm not sure that yet another comic series (at least one that Joss was overseeing/writing) would be so great. And I don't think I'd want a comic that wasn't overseen and written by Joss. But he has a talent for multitasking, so who knows.

ETA: I would make an exception to my skepticism for Fray 2, by the way.

I'm actually sort of tired of these kind of teasers. If they know now what the story is, why hold off on it until then? To boost attendence? To confirm something that is tentative- which would be silly if it ends up there is no story. I'd just release the news now and let people have at it. Since this coming from DH, I have to assume it involves them, which probably implies some other comic news. Which does not really excite me that much.

ShadowQuest's idea of season 8 figures (could be cool) led me to wonder how big Dawn's figure would have to be... and the realization it'd need to be about the size of the actual Michelle Trachtenberg....

Ya know, I got to thinking (Yeah, working without tools again) - The Thing has "It's clobberin' time!", the Hulk says "Hulk smash!" and Dawn says..."Fe Fi F*(&^ing Fum"??? (If she had a better line than that I don't know - I quit reading them after #4.)

Is this a formal announcment about something we already know about, or is this new? It's Buffy-related, so that rules out Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale. It's probably the formal announcement that production is starting on either Ripper, Fray II or one of those possible Season 8 miniseries spin-offs. We know that between Dark Horse and IDW Joss is pretty much set to tell all the Buffyverse and Serenity stories he wants, so I hope it's a Ripper announcement.

Although Ripper was one of the "big announcements" from last year, a live-action TV movie or mini-series could fit well within the established S8 continuity, since we now know that Giles & Faith are working together, and separately from the Scooby Gang. Oh, the possibilities...

I'd rather it be some kind of confirmation that Ripper is officially happening instead of a Faith spin off, I love the comics but would take live action anyday. Even better would be a Btvs s8 mini series or movie, but I really doubt it.

I'd wager that whatever it is, it'll just be something short, whether it's a comic miniseries, Ripper, or something else. Joss probably doesn't want to get weighed down right when he's starting a new TV show, and he's probably pretty focused on that and the current Buffy comic.

More things to hope for -- A digital 3D Buffy animated feature, in the style of "Beowulf" or "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within".

A new Buffy animated series, but following/adapting the successful Season 8 rather than retelling/telling new Sunnydale stories.

I know it's odd to say, but while I'd get geeked up for live-action Buffyverse like Ripper, I'd probably rather have an animated project that included all my favorite characters than a live-action one that's pretty much likely only to have Giles.

Sunfire It was tagged in a post about some interview Joss gave a while back - try searching for "Joss + horse" or something like that. I think it was an audio interview, which is why I didn't click the link. Stupid dial-up.

I would think if the news was series or TV related it would be announced at the Paley panel.
Dark Horse wise, my hope is for more 'Fray'. This would be exciting, given that she may now be in a position to tell us more about the fabled 'final battle', thus tying in nicely with the Buffy S8 and 9 comics. Perhaps Joss can even chuck in a time-traveling crossover arc between Buffy and Fray for us. I would pay good cash-y money for that, and it certainly wouldn't be out of Willow's magical capabilities. (And yes shippers, I do concede if she can time travel she can very well go back to 'collect' Tara! Who is maybe riding a horse. Huh? Ben is Glory?! ;-) )

Sincerely hope they don't introduce time travel into the Buffyverse. Yes, I know the whole "time passage in hell dimensions is different than in our world" thing already fudges the lines, not to mention Illyria's time/space distortion...but I really hope characters are bound to the present on Earth. No going back in time and saving everyone they lost.